First off im not sure if this in the correct section. Sorry if it isnt.

I am currently learning Japanese and i want to keep learning it. I recently went and visited my family and alot of them are from italy and speak italian and i would love to learn it so i could speak with them and one day visit their home towns etc.

I was wondering if it is possible to learn 2 languages at once, that arnt related in anyway ?

I've learnt Dutch and Japanese at the same time, and French and German at the same time and been fine - it's how our schooling system worked during compulsory years, so of course it's possible

You just have to remember that it takes a lot of time and effort to become fluent in a language so don't expect it to happen overnight, and don't be surprised if you end up saying Japanese words in Italian sentences or visa versa on occasion (I know I've said 'J'ai une hund' enough times)

You learned Dutch in England? At school? Was this high school?
すごい
In Holland we get taught multiple languages at school. It can be up to 4 at the same time, I think. *)
I didn't know Dutch was offered as a possibility in England.
I thought it was only French and maybe the odd student taking German....

edit:
*) not taking Latin and Ancient Greek into account.

Last edited by katafei on Fri 01.18.2008 5:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

It's possible, esp. for young people.
In Holland, (depending on the level of education of course, but let's say pre-university level) English, French and German are compulsory the first three years. After that, the student can drop French and German.
In my days (back in the Dark Ages) there was talk about offering Spanish as an option and I think now most schools do. Mandarin is the next candidate...

Whether or not someone can learn two languages at the same time is very personal. But if you have a knack for it, it shouldn't be that much of a problem.

Last edited by katafei on Sat 01.19.2008 8:39 am, edited 1 time in total.

Italian isn't as complicated as japanese so why not tag along an easier language and learn both simultaneously? Of course some small mix-ups may happen but they're not a big deal once you get used to both languages, but remember, confidence is the key to learning languages.

Off topic: About mixing up two languages, happened with me when I was studying japanese alot and also had to study compulsory swedish (compulsory swedish ftl), I accidentally made a language which I gave the name: Swepanese.Like: Jag heter Xurma desu, watashi no bilen är grön et cetera.

I'm nearly fluent in written Spanish -- spoken Spanish is difficult unless spoken slowly -- and I'm studying Japanese. I've been doing Heisig together with Spanish for a long time now, but I'm finally finishing Heisig. (I've been "finishing Heisig" for ages, but now I'm actually doing it -- only 148 kanji to go. It's difficult to stay motivated through Heisig, but I know I'll be motivated enough to study the language proper.) I also want to learn Italian, but I decided it's better to wait until I achieve fluency in Spanish and finish working my way through most of those "learn Spanish" books that I have sitting around. That'll take a bit of time, but I'm doing it slowly but surely.

One thing to consider is how much you intend to learn a particular language. Learning 2000 words of a language and learning it to native-like status are two very different things. You can learn 2000 words of a lot of languages, but you'll probably only ever learn only two or three to native-like fluency because achieving that level requires more work than just language study, but also immersing yourself in the culture.